HDBMTD 66

~Chapter 66~

I leaned against the wall and wiped my damp forehead with my hand. Just then, a dull thud rang out.

Whack!

Jason’s blow sent another Cambiata member sprawling. I gave him a satisfied smile and a thumbs-up.

“Good work. Nice and clean.”

“It was nothing.”

Jason smiled shyly. Maybe because he was only twenty, everything he did looked praiseworthy.

“The one you just took down seemed to be the most dangerous opponent here.”

I looked down at the big man lying on the floor. He was the one the others called “Big Brother,” the actual person in charge of the Cambiata in this area.

The “Arthur Linata” I had been impersonating was the type who traveled between districts delivering orders from the central group, while this man was the one running the field operations. With him down, their remaining strength was almost nothing. Besides…

“Shall we go take care of the rest?”

“…”

“Your Highness?”

“I don’t think we need to bother.”

“Huh?”

“Right now, Jang is fighting the boss.”

“What?”

Jason blinked in confusion.

“Jang? That member? Why?”

“Well, he seemed unusually vulnerable to suggestion… so I put him under a stronger brainwashing than usual. Worked better than I expected.”

“You mean you made the Cambiata fight each other?”

“Yep. Jang is punching the boss in the face right now.”

“Oh, nice! Go, Jang! Show him what kind of man you are!”

Jason’s cheer made me smile too.

But then, suddenly, a jolt of shock hit me and I clutched my stomach, sinking to the floor.

“Your Highness?!”

Jason rushed over to support me.

“…Almost blacked out for a second there.”

“W-what’s wrong? You’re overexerting yourself…”

“The boss just shot Jang.”

“What?!”

I quickly cut off the mental link and blocked out the pain. Only then did I manage to pull myself together.

“…Jason.”

“Why do you sound so serious?”

“Let’s join up with the reinforcements and help evacuate the townspeople.”

“Not finish off the remaining Cambiata first?”

“There’s no need anymore.”

“What do you mean—”

Boom!

A massive crash erupted.

Jason and I turned at the same time. The sound came from the Cambiata’s base — the holding pen.

The massive building, built to contain a giant monster, stood out among the shabby shacks of the village. From here, we could see it clearly.

“That… that’s…”

Jason stammered in shock.

The holding pen was collapsing.

The Grand Phantom Ghost was smashing through the sturdy structure, stepping into the open world.

“Hurry!”

“Yes!”

We sprinted toward where the reinforcements were waiting.

When we arrived, they were already fighting a phantom ghost. We joined the fight, quickly taking it down, and I explained the situation.

“We need to move fast. Any more ghosts left?”

“That was the last one!”

“Evacuate the remaining villagers first!”

“Yes!”

We rushed into the village to rescue survivors. As we moved them to safety, I kept my eyes fixed on the distant Grand Phantom Ghost.

It wandered through the slums in its house-sized body. Each step crushed buildings, and gray dust clouds rose in its wake.

Then, a loud blast of fire erupted from beneath its feet. I flinched at the sudden noise.

The Cambiata’s fire-starting artifacts…!

It must have triggered one while moving. I watched tensely.

But the Grand Phantom Ghost simply stomped on a burning building like it was flicking off mud on its toes, then kept walking.

“…Creepy.”

I’d hoped killing the other ghosts would weaken it — but it seemed even stronger now.

Maybe it fed on the souls of the Cambiata members.

It hadn’t reached S-rank yet, but it was on the borderline, far beyond A-rank.

Once the survivors were gathered at the forest entrance, I shouted to the reinforcements:

“You go with the villagers and get out of here!”

“Yes!”

Except for one support-class member, they were all B-rank, so I sent them out first.

I was about to check the village one last time before leaving when—

“No!”

I heard an argument. Turning, I saw the reinforcements struggling with a woman.

A silver-haired woman in her forties — the psychic Eshafé Jason and I had rescued from “the chair.”

Didn’t we evacuate her first? Why is she back?

I went over.

“What’s going on?”

“Your Highness, she keeps—”

“My son is still captured by the Cambiata!”

Her voice was desperate.

Immediately, I understood — the Cambiata must have taken her son hostage to force her cooperation. That’s why she’d been put in the chair. A classic tactic.

“What’s his age and name?”

“Twelve years old. His name is Cain.”

At once, I used my sensitivity ability to scan the holding pen area. Then I shook my head.

“There’s no boy like that near the pen.”

“That… that can’t be.”

“You don’t know exactly where he is?”

The woman answered in confusion.

“I don’t know… I remember the boss here taking him, but—”

“Hmm…”

Her arms and legs trembled slightly. Even after a healer’s treatment, she still seemed unstable. Getting her to a hospital was urgent.

I put my hand gently on her shoulder.

“We’ll find him. Go somewhere safe.”

“No, I—”

“What’s your name?”

She hesitated before answering.

“Martha Renzel.”

“All right, Martha. You need to be safe so you can meet your son properly. Imagine if I rescued Cain but his mother was in danger — how would he feel?”

“But…”

“I’ll bring Cain to you. I promise, Martha.”

“…All right.”

Seeing my serious expression, Martha slowly nodded.

Once she left, Jason muttered beside me,

“You’re a patient yourself, Your Highness. If the Duke saw you now, he’d probably order you back to the hospital immediately.”

“Didn’t want to know that, but thanks.”

I thought for a moment.

“Jason, remember that Big Brother you knocked out in the alley? Let’s ask him.”

“Understood.”

We went to the alley. Big Brother was still lying there unconscious. I placed my hand on his forehead and searched his mind.

But there was no information about a boy named Cain.

Could Arthur Linata be the only one who knows his location?

I checked where the Grand Phantom Ghost was — luckily, it was far enough from the pen. I carefully moved toward it.

Arthur Linata was there, pinned under debris, his lower body trapped, unconscious.

“…Guess I have no choice.”

With some reluctance, I placed my hand on his shoulder.

The moment I searched his mind, the intense pain from his crushed lower body flooded in.

Blocking pain didn’t help while reading his mind.

I finally got the information I needed and pulled my hand away, panting.

“Your Highness!”

“I’m fine. Cain is in that building over there.”